In this file photo, trappers try to remove a bear from a tree in a residential area of Tallahassee. Leon County, especially west of Capital Circle, is a hotspot for black bears.

Written by

Karl Etters
Democrat staff writer

Black bears' interaction with humans is becoming more frequent in western Leon County and one resident who repeatedly sees bears in his Gearhart Road neighborhood said they have become a serious problem.

Charles McWhite said for the past week he and his northwest neighbors have noticed a bear tipping over trash cans and hanging around in an area where there are young children, pets and families.

He said his concern, in addition to the bears, is the fact that the Florida Wildlife Commission and Leon County Waste Management have offered him and his neighbors little respite from having to pick up ...